Definition

1. Noun:
   • Young children: Refers to human beings in the early stage of life, typically from infancy to around pre-adolescence. It emphasizes youth and small size.
   • The young / little ones: A general, often affectionate term for a group of children.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Công viên này có nhiều khu vui chơi cho trẻ nhỏ. (This park has many play areas for young children.)
  • Trẻ nhỏ cần được chăm sóc và bảo vệ. (Young children need care and protection.)
  • Tiếng cười của lũ trẻ nhỏ vang khắp sân. (The laughter of the little ones echoed across the yard.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "trẻ nhỏ" is often used in formal, educational, or caring contexts (e.g., healthcare, policy, parenting advice) to denote the demographic of very young children. It carries a tone of tenderness and responsibility.
• It can be used interchangeably with "trẻ em" (children), though "trẻ nhỏ" sometimes more specifically implies younger age or smaller physical stature.

Variants and Related Words

• Trẻ em (n): children, kids (a more general and common term).

  • Quyền trẻ em (children's rights).

• Trẻ thơ (n): young children, infants; often carries a poetic or very tender connotation.

  • Giấc ngủ trẻ thơ (a child's sleep).

• Trẻ sơ sinh (n): newborn, infant.

  • Chăm sóc trẻ sơ sinh (newborn care).

Synonyms

• Young children: The most direct synonym.
• Little kids: Informal equivalent.
• The young: A more formal collective term.

Related Idioms

• Nói chuyện trẻ nhỏ: To talk down to someone (literally: to talk as if to a young child).

  • Đừng nói chuyện trẻ nhỏ với tôi. (Don't talk down to me.)

• Già dạy trẻ nhỏ: A proverb meaning elders teach the young, emphasizing the traditional role of passing knowledge.

  • Theo truyền thống "già dạy trẻ nhỏ". (According to the "elders teach the young" tradition.)